One reason why absorbent articles of the aforementioned kind tend to leak when in use is because they do not lie against the wearer's body, therewith allowing liquid to run on the surface of the article and beyond the edges of said article without being absorbed. In order to resolve this problem, it is not unusual to provide the article with a central upstanding part which comes into positive contact with the user's body when the article is donned. It is also known to provide sanitary napkins and corresponding articles with upstanding parts that ensure that a donned article will not be moved laterally by those forces to which it is subjected in use.
One drawback with absorbent articles that include such outwardly projecting parts is that they complicate packaging of the articles. The articles are often packaged one on top of the other and give the packages a large volume, which increases the transport costs and storage costs of the articles. There is also a risk that the outwardly projecting parts will be deformed during transportation and storage. Some users also experience articles that include outwardly projecting parts uncomfortable and unpleasant to wear. EP-A1-0 681 819 teaches an absorbent article that solves the aforesaid problems by means of an upstanding part that is formed by the wearer immediately prior to donning the article. This known article includes several adhesive strings which are each protected by release paper The application of a plurality of adhesive strings complicates the manufacture of such articles, particularly when it is necessary to provide each of the strings with release paper.
Furthermore, handling of such articles is complicated by the need to remove several release papers in a specific order, when the wearer avails herself of the possibility of shaping the article to obtain an upstanding part.
An object of the present invention is to provide an article of the aforesaid kind which solves the aforesaid problems in principle in the same fashion as with the article known from the aforesaid patent publication, but without complicating the manufacture and use of the article.